Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1887-12-10

A decision was rendered last
Monday in the Supreme Court Of
the United States in the Virginia
habpAs corpus cases, concurred in
by all the members of that tribunal
except one. which fills with JOY the
heart of every true son of Virginia.
The decision disposing as it does
of the new tangled notions, ema
mating from Republican leaders
and which have been gathering
strength recently, to the effect that
State can he taken by the throat
aud strangled by order OF FEEDER
al Judge, cannot be overcstimated
in its Importance. not only to MS.
hut to all the people of all the
States throughout our broad land.
Establishing the principle, or rath
er rcscuing from oblivion, to
which they had been almost con-
signed by Republicans. the princi
enumerated in the Eleventh
Amendment to the constitution of,
the United States, which torhids a
State to he sued i'll Federal court
without lis consent, the decision is
indeed of far reaching Importance,
and one in which every citizen OF
every State who feels an interest
in the perpetuify of ourinstltutions
Is deeply interested.
The main interest in that deciS
ion at present, however, attaches
IN Virginia. In the eases in ques.
tiun. the parties who attempted to
coeice Virginia through the instru-
mentality of the Federal courts
have been utterly defeated and the
Supreme conrt in saying as it did,
that Judge Bond had no authority
to entertain the suit as he did, that
in restraining the officers of Vir-
g!n;a from performing their duties.
he was actirg without constitution
al warrant and that in causing
their arrest and imprisonment he
was acting without authority and
in an illegal manner, virtually de-
cided that the holders Of Virginia
bonds have no remedy except in
the honor and good faith Of the
people of. the State. The settle
ment OF The debt question, there
fore, which for so long has been the
disturbing element III Virginia and
which demaengueS have used so
long tot'urtherthcir own selfish ends
TO The de:rlment OF the great body
of the people of the State, is now
IN the iIands Of her own people and
the ondholGers must agree 10 the
terms Of >etilement which will be
dictated to them by us, or take
ro.lling. That the picture is not
owe: drawn Of the good fortune
which has at last fallen to Virginia
is shrwn by the fact, that overtures
have already been made by Mr..
Royal, counsel of the bondholders.
IL rs asked, in view of The new
sit alton created by the courts de
c:>ion, IL suspension by the State
of legal proceedings under the
coupon crlsher' act. against per
sons who have rendered coupons
in iaym MT Of taxes, in order that
a aew conference may be had to
lie ,,:tiate a settlement. We are
i'll Iced masters Of the situation,
but the obligations of the people OF
Virginia ale not thereby leS>ened
10 their creditors every dol
can,aftcr providing for the
I,ry support of the govern
and the various institutions.
great care should he observed
Gaking terms with the bond
N'erS, that We do not overesti
.e5ur ability to pa, and do not
create obligations which cannot he
met. Better terms than are pro
vided for iii the Riddleherger set
tlement. of cOulSe will not be Offer
edand if our revenues do not justify
us in according to them so favor
able. terms, then let us insist upon
such DIS we are able TO pay and hav
ing bound ourselves to pay such
sum, let us conscienilously dis
charge lie obligation we impose
upon ourselves.
The Fiftieth Congress Of the